Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times to go to the movies (and watch lots of movies on DVD). In honor of this ritual, I'd like you to make a list of five memorable movies (memorable because something bad happened when you went to see the movie, or it was the setting for a first date, or you always watch this movie with your family on Thanksgiving, etc.). Pick one movie. Now write down a sensory detail (smell, taste, sound, touch) to go along with movie. Set the timer for 10 min. and write, and make sure that you include the sensory detail in your piece. When you are done, post your write in the comments of this blog!

For example, when I went to see "The Piano Teacher" with Isabelle Huppert, I was so disturbed by the behavior of the main character that I got nauseous and fainted in the movie theater lobby twice. I think that I will write about that!

Comment on this blog! Write what comes to mind when I say, "memorable movie." If you post your story in the comments of this blog, you could win a free class!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Skim the resume of Steven Peros, and you'll be inspired to rise out of your chair and go make something. Why, you ask?

Steven has created award-winning films and is a twice-published Samuel French playwright. His research into a mysterious death on board William Randolph Hearst's yacht led to his original screenplay, “The Cat's Meow” (Lionsgate, 2002), directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Kirsten Dunst and Eddie Izzard. The film was highly regarded by critics and appeared on a dozen year-end “Ten Best” lists, including Film Comment. When he's not speaking about screenwriting at film festivals and universities nationwide, Steven dreams up budget-friendly movies. His microbudget film "Footprints" comes out next month.

On Sunday, November 13th, Steven will be teaching Writing Pad students how to turn unwieldy real life events or characters into a three-act script in his class "Writing the Royalty Free Screenplay." Before this weekend, we had the chance to pick Steven's brain and, like we imagined, it was quite a ride.

How does L.A. inform your work?
I become very immersed in where I live and have always incorporated it into my scripts. L.A. has a special draw for me because even as a boy on Long Island, I dreamt of Hollywood. Now I can walk to Grauman’s Chinese. For me L.A. has so much history, so much energy of the creative souls that have come, fought so hard to be heard, and won or lost the battle. It’s a crazy, beautiful, ugly, frustrating, and exciting place.

Your movie “The Cat’s Meow” was based on your research of a mysterious 1924 real-life death. Can you explain how people looking to write a screenplay can draw stories from real-life events?
How can writers draw stories from real life? How can they not? Flip through an encyclopedia to any random page. Type arbitrary interesting words or people into Wikipedia and see what pops up or pick up a book on famous murder trials or unsolved mysteries. If a story involves a public figure and that figure is deceased – guess what? – there are no rights required. It’s free! We will go more into this on Sunday (Nov 13) at Writing Pad, so I urge everyone with a true story from history, their family tree, or their own lives to join us so they can take the next steps to putting it on the page.

As an experienced screenwriting teacher, as well as a film professional, what are some of your suggestions for writers who are sitting down to write their opening scene?
Whether you are writing a subtle character piece or a kick-ass action film, you must make us sit up and say, “This is a writer who I want to spend the next 90-120 pages reading.” Your dialogue, description, economy (so important!) lets the reader know they are in good hands. In addition, surprise us with something that we were not expecting in that first scene, a detail we couldn’t predict that tells us your characters will keep us compelled and on our toes. Most people write scripts with scenes unintentionally copied from a million other movies – make your first scene something we haven’t read before.

In addition to your playwriting and screenwriting career, you have made several films on a budget such as “Footprints.” Can you tell me more about what led you to that process?
I have always been a screenwriter with a goal of making the films I write. I tried for years to get four different “first directing features” off the ground with four different producers, each budgeted between $1M and $6M. After a rollercoaster of “almosts” with those films, I finally said, “I’m going to make a movie for an amount of money I can actually raise, instead of for an amount I can’t.” From there, “Footprints” grew. You can read more about how the film happened at The Huffington Post and find out how to do it yourself during our Microbudget Madness class on Dec 11 at Writing Pad.

You have two films coming out next month, can you tell me more about them?
Yes, I’m very excited about them. The first film, "Footprints" was a microbudget film shot entirely on Hollywood Boulevard and stars Sybil Temtchine. We had a limited Engagement in April in NYC and LA. In July, the Chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle called it “One of the 10 Best Films So Far This Year” which led to us being booked into more cities beginning Dec 16. The second film is a larger budget supernatural thriller called "The Undying" which stars Emmy nominee Robin Weigert (HBO’s “Deadwood”) and Wes Studi (“Avatar,” “Last of the Mohicans”). That movie will be released on DVD/VOD on Dec. 12 and will be at every Redbox in the country as well as Blockbuster, Amazon, and Netflix afterwards.

What are your tips for people who are considering writing a screenplay and/or producing their own film on a budget?
Write a film for an amount of money that you can actually raise with a unique script that excites you. In my one-day Microbudget Madness class, we will go through a series of great in-class exercises to help you utilize all that is already in your life and therefore free or very inexpensive (locations, crew, actors, props). If you came to L.A. to not only write, but to go out and make a movie, I hope that you will join us.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

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Writing Pad has a delectable feast of writing classes paired with Andrea Ruth's culinary yummies this November and December. Also, Andrea and rock star novelist Jessica Brody will be tantalizing our literary and food muses at Writing Pad's Idyllwild Writing Retreat this March 9-11th! Stay tuned for more details.

To sign up for a class, click "Buy Now" at the bottom of the class descriptions at the links below, call 323-333-2954, or email marilyn@writingpad.com to grab a spot before they are full!

Andrea says:"I didn't start out as a waffle person. I didn't like the idea of starting my day with a griddled cake covered in butter and syrup. A few years ago, I took a job making waffle pops for a holiday party, and I had to come up with a damn good recipe. I stumbled upon the "Waffle of Insane Greatness," and boy were they great! I made 12 liters of waffle batter based on that recipe. We had many subsequent waffle parties in an attempt to use up the batter, and we never got tired of the waffles. They were that delicious.

But I just had to monkey with the recipe. I couldn't resist making them with a little less oil, a little whole wheat flour, a banana or some pecans, etc. The following recipe is a waffle of INSANE greatness to be sure, but it's also good for you! It's a bit more grown up: a sweet breakfast for people who don't really dig sweet breakfasts. And you can feel good eating them five times a week.

To that end here's a tip: double the recipe on Sunday morning, make all the waffles, (not too well done), cool them on a wire rack, and freeze them in a ziplock bag. You can pop them in the toaster all week long."

Directions: Combine all dry ingredients, whisk together in a big bowl. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix. Add cinnamon, nuts (if using) mashed banana (if using). Let it stand in the refrigerator while the iron heats up. You don't have to spray the iron. But you can if it makes you feel better. But only spray it once!

A few suggestions: serve with warm maple syrup (drop your maple syrup in a bowl of hot water while you cook). Take out your butter first so that its not ice cold by the time you need it. Experiment! Add mashed pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice instead of banana and cinnamon. Use all white flour. Use almost all wheat flour (you want to retain at least 3 Tbsp of white flour for the texture to be good). Add mini chocolate chips (wipe your waffle iron afterwards). Go crazy!

by Marilyn Friedman ﻿ ﻿ ﻿﻿﻿﻿
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Thanksgiving is nipping at our heels. I don't know about you, but I'm mentally preparing myself for a healthy helping of delicious food with a side of family dysfunction. This November, I'm thankful that we have a bunch of terrific writing classes at the Pad to take the pain away before the holidays descend upon us. Most of them are quickie one-day or one-night stands, so they'll leave you plenty of time to prepare for holiday travel, company parties, and last minute shopping missions.

Relax, get inspired, and write your literary masterpiece in front of the cozy Writing Pad fireplace this November and December. To sign up for a class, click "Buy Now" at the bottom of the class descriptions at the links below, call 323-333-2954, or email marilyn@writingpad.com to grab a spot before they are full!

Where's the turkey? It's so small, I need a magnifying glass to see it.

Writing Prompt:

Make a list of 5 weird or unusual family holiday rituals (real or imagined). Pick one. Now write down a sensory detail (smell, taste, sound, touch) to go along with that situation or place. Set the timer for 10 min. and write, and make sure that you include the sensory detail in your piece. When you are done, post your write in the comments of this blog!

For example, at Thanksgiving, my family was so small that my mother didn't bother buying a whole turkey at the supermarket. She just bought a capon breast. Or, I might mention that my in-laws insist on passing plates when we go to a restaurant together. So if I order duck and blackberry stuffed ravioli, I might only get a tiny bite because everyone else takes a swipe at my plate before I get it back. I think that I will write about that!

Comment on this blog! Write what comes to mind when I say, "weird family holiday rituals." If you post your story in the comments of this blog, you could win a free class!

﻿When I first met Judy three years ago at the Southern California Writers conference, I was thrilled to meet my writing idol. "I loved your book! It helped me so much. It was so hard to get back into writing, but I felt like you were cheering me on every day with your terrific writing prompts," I told her.

The fantastic Judy Reeves

﻿﻿﻿"I was cheering you on!" Judy replied. I took several of Judy's seminars at the conference, and she further impressed me with her knowledge of writing craft. In just a few minutes, Judy helped me fix an essay that I had been struggling with for months. Armed with Judy's editing suggestions, I polished my essay and one week later, read it at a literary variety show. I not only got a standing ovation but was later contacted by a literary agent who'd heard about my piece from a client who'd attended the show. If you take Writing Reboot: Rescuing Your Crashed Creation, Judy can work her literary fix-it magic on you too!
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While you are anxiously waiting for Judy's classes on the 12th, I recommend watching these short interviews to hear her helpful tips on writing craft and practice and learn the harrowing story behind "A Writer's Book of Days." You can sign up for one of Judy's classes or any other class by clicking "Buy Now" at the bottom of the class descriptions at the links below, by calling 323-333-2954, or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com to grab a spot before they are full!

In honor of Judy's visit, here's a November writing prompt from "A Writers' Book of Days." I chose this prompt in particular because it reminded me of the intense feelings that can sometimes accompany family visits on Thanksgiving and the holidays. Make a list of 5 things that come to mind when I say, "This is not my home" (after Elizabeth Bishop). Pick one. Now write down a sensory detail (smell, taste, sound, touch) to go along with that situation or place. Set the timer for 10 min. and write, and make sure that you include the sensory detail in your piece. You can repeat the words, "This is not my home" several times if it helps kickstart your imagination. When you are done, post your write in the comments of this blog!

Comment on this blog! Write what comes to mind when I say, "This is not my home." If you post your story in the comments of this blog, you could win a free class!

First things first, Writing Pad would like to give props to Chad Gervich. This week, he is wrapping up not one—but two—TV shows ("After Lately" and "Cupcake Wars")! He stepped off set for a moment to talk with us about the television industry and the craft of pilot writing.

Chad, a TV writer, producer, and development exec, will share his secrets for creating a riveting pilot and bringing it to the screen at his upcoming Writing Pad class, Writing A Pilot That Can Fly. We can't wait! It starts Monday and is almost full (only 1 spot left).

In the meantime, here's a little bit about Chad's background and some of his tips on writing for television.

Chad says, "TV writing is unlike any other kind of writing. It’s nothing like novel writing. It's not like screenwriting. Even if you are a writer who isn't necessarily interested in writing for TV, my pilot writing class will still be incredibly valuable to you because it will teach you new ways of looking at character, story, and conflict. I think people underestimate how complex and interesting TV is."

TV writing has helped Chad, who was originally a playwright, hone his own writing craft. He says, "Even if I'm writing something nonfiction like a how to article or a profile for a magazine, I now make sure that there is story and conflict in every single sentence. Even if I'm writing something that isn't a narrative, I make sure that I am clearly communicating the emotional journey of the piece."

After 12 years in the industry, Chad has worked on programs such as "The Wanda Sykes Show," "Star Search," "Malcom In The Middle," and he regularly publishes articles in Daily Variety, Script, and Writer’s Digest. In 2008, Chad wrote “Small Screen, Big Picture” (Random House/Crown), a guide that makes the complexities and jargon of the TV business easy to understand. He created the book because "a lot of new writers don't think of television as a business with creative rules, business rules, processes and paths that must be followed. They think, 'As long as I'm creative and a good writer, I'll succeed.' But that's not true." The book helps aspiring television writers understand "how the business works, where the business side meets the creative side and how they affect each other." It's used at industry classes and Universities nationwide.

When it comes to pilot writing, Chad says, "A pilot isn't just a great story. It has to do very specific things to be sellable or used as a viable writing sample." He recommends that you keep these three things in mind when you sit down to brainstorm your pilot:

1. The pilot needs to work just like every episode is going to work.

For example, is it a mystery series? If all of the episodes are going to be about solving a mystery throughout the show, the pilot has to work the same way.

2.The pilot needs to show us where the story is going to come from every week.

For instance, if it’s a relationship story like "Everyone Loves Raymond," Raymond is always forced to balance what his wife wants with what his mother wants.

3. You to be very clear on who the characters are and what their relationships are to each other.

You need to really understand those dynamics before you complete your pilot.

Thanks for sharing these helpful insights, Chad! We look forward to learning more from you in your Writing A Pilot That Can Flyclass next week.